Spring brush control for carpet sweepers



April 14, 1953 w, UL 2,634,443

SPRING BRUSH CONTROL FOR CARPET SWEEPERS Filed March 30, 1946 IN VENTOR. f/aa MPzM/en ,4) for/ray,

Patented Apr. 14, 1953 UNIT ED STATES OFF! CE;

ass-4,443 SPRING BRUSH. CONTROL FOR CARPETT Fred W; Pullcn', GrandRapids; Miclm, assignor: I to; Bissellflarpetzz Sweeper:Company;.:Gra-nd.-

I RapidspMich lascorporation of Michigan ApplicationMarch'M, .1946,"S'erialN'o; 658398 depthsotnapof; carpets. or rugs on. which the sweeperis-usedzandwithoutregard to the degree to. which thewheels of thesweeper may be. pressed into.- the.v nap 1 or the. downward thrustapplied .to

the sweeper; v 1 Second, to; provide. a. carpet sweeper inwhich therotary brush is yieldinglyurgedito-thesurface tobe cleaned andv at thesame. time-one. in which the-springbiasing stress on thebrush-reemainsapproximately, constant throughout the rangeofverticalmovement of thebrush relative to the floor wheels of the sweeper. I

Third, to provide a carpet sweeper which. is very'easily operated andone which doesrnot dependon the skillet the operator for effectivesweeping.

"Fourth, to. provide a carpet sweeper embodying these. advantages whichis economical in. its parts and very, durable in useandone .whichdoessciaims. (01.15541):

notunduly wear or. injure. thecarpet. or. rug on which itis used. v

v Objectsrel'ating to. details and economiesof the invention willapp'earfromthe description to follow. 'The. invention is. definedvandpoint'edout in-the claims. 4 g

Preferred embodiments of. the. invention are illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, in which:

Fig: 1' is an end'elevation of a carpetsweeper embodying my invention,parts being. broken away to better disclose structuraldetailsi Fig. 2 isan" enlarged fragmentary" view mainly inhorizontalsection on a linecorresponding, to line'2-'2'rof"'Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary endelevationalview'of a modified'form'or embodimentof my invention:

Fig: 4- is a fragmentary view showing another modification or embodimentof myinvention. Fig. 5-is anenlargedfragmentary viewpartiallyinverticalsection on -1ine5'5'of"'Fig. 3;

Fig: 6 is a perspective view-ofthejournal memher or slideshowrr in Figs:3 and- 5 prior-"to. the assembly'ofthespring therewith. M-y presentinvention is-anadaptation of the invention of my" Letters Patent No:2,418,725, 'i's'suedApril 8,--1947: I have shown only one end of thesweeper structure but itwill beunderstoodthat the parts are duplicatedon" the otherendof-"the structure: Further, certain parts areconventionally 'shownand only suchv parts; are detailed as is deemednecessary tolgive'anomplete understandingof a practical.commercialembodiment of my invention.v

Referring-"to -the drawing, the casing is; designated generally by: thenumeral. l' and comprises side'amembers Z and: end members: 3arrangedsin an inset relation relativextovthe... ends ..oi.:the sidemembers. A

The. end bar. 47in thestructure illustratedextends across; the sweeper.fromthexends. ofthe side -members, beingzisecured thereto; This end bar:or. member? 4. is; in the; embodiment: illustrated; relatively. narrowbutzin some. types: of sweepers it: iS'. substantially. of; the. contourand width .ofthe. end member of the; casing. Such anend. member is nottillustratedasaitis know inthe art.

The.- fioor; wheels 5.: are. provided with floating axless which aredisposed longitudinally through the casingand. endmemberst; thisalsobeing disclosed inprior patentsof the applicant The-bowed spring)!is-mountedron the angled bracket-z8 secured-to. therend member ofthecasing; so thatthe-bracketdepends atrthelouter side ofthe pulleyii.of .thesbrush: I 0.. The ends of. the spring I are secured to. the arms.H of the-wheel bearing members; I 2; this mounting. and L biasing of-thefioonwheelsbeing; ,asstated, shownin prior patents .issued to the.applicant andthereforesn'ot detailed herein; Thepulley Qiis-operatiVeIy.as-?- sociated with the floor; wheels'to be.-driven;there'- The brush ismounted for vertical floating movement, the journal l3 of-the brushbeingprovided with a.. slide hi having laterally ofiset flange-likeslideway engaging-.members; or portions. |5.. Thebracketrais conformedto. provide averticalslideway-l 6 receiving; the journalmembenllliior'vertical slidingmovement.

In. the. structureaillustrated, the end member 4 extends .across thebracket, providingv a. support therefor andpreventing. outward.movement. :of theQslide. or. journal .member. in theeslideway al!-though. in. the structures illustrated the brush tensioningspring I1extendsethrough .therjournal member or is. engagedwith .thesjournalmember so .i that itv also. prevents outward movement of the journalmember asisclearly. shown :inEig, 2. However; the bar. A. serves. as aguard for. the bracketand slide and. the embodimentilluse tratedconstitutes an outer. bearing ,member. for the slideway engaging Darts15.101. the journal member."

The-brackets" and the slideway therein are formed by stampingoperations. member slide is also a stamping.

The brush journal member is yieldingly urged downward by means of thespring I! which in the embodiment illustrated is a reversely bowedspring. The ends of the spring are fixedly secured to the bar it bystriking in loops [3 in the bar, the ends of the spring being insertedthrough these loops and the parts crimped as indicated at is topositively fixedly secure the ends of the spring against slidingmovement in the general longitudinal direction of the spring. The bowedor bent reaches of the spring are of such character that they springlaterally under. endwise thrust resulting from the vertical movement ofthejournal member.

The spring H is disposed horizontally in approximately the horizontalplane of the journal member and is of such length that the bowedportions thereof flex throughout the full range of; movement of thejournal member without substantial variation in the biasing stress ofthe spring on the brush.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 3, the brush biasing spring 28 isprovided with coils 2| adjacent its ends which are down-turned at 22 andengaged through loops 23 struck in from the end bar l. In thisembodiment, the coils increase the length of the spring and also serveto receive and absorb the end thrust that may result from the verticalmovement of thejournal member. In this structure, the journal or slidemember has slots 2% formed therein receiving the spring, the bottom edge25 of the webof the slide being folded forwardly around the spring as isshown in detailin Figs. and 6. It will be noted that the spring 20 isbowed substantially the same as the spring I! but has the additionalfeature of the coils.

In the embodiment of my invention shown in Fig. 4, the brush tensioningspring 25 is substantially straight and is provided with coils 26 whichincrease the length thereof and serve the further purpose of absorbingsuch end thrust as results from thevertical movement of the slide 2?. Inthis case, theslide-is secured to the spring by means of a tongue 28folded over the spring instead of under-it, this in effect beingareversal of the position of the slide to accommodate the unbowed spring.In this embodiment of Fig. 4, theends of the spring are secured inbrackets 29' mounted on the casing end member 3. The brackets have loops30 struck out therefrom to receive the down-turned ends 3i of thespring. 7

"By this arrangement of parts, I provide a structurein which propersweeping action is maintained whether the sweeper is used on a floor,carpet or rug or on rugs orcarpets of varying depth of nap as thebiasing stress of the spring on the brush does not vary greatly butremains substantially constant throughout the full range of movement ofthe brush relative to the floor wheels and other parts of the structure.This is of very great importance as it prevents undue sweeping or brushaction on delicate rugs or carpets having long'or deep nap and thiswithout regard to the skill of the operator.

In carpet sweepers ofcommercial types other than the one shown in mysaid application for The journal Letters Patent it has been the practiceso far as applicant is aware to provide structures inwhich the pressureon the handle is the controlling feature as to brush action. Theapplicant has departed from this principle of operation: and hasprovided a structure in which the sweeping action not only is notdependent on the pressure thrust which the user may exert but remainssubstantially constant despite such thrust that may be imparted by theuser, it being the applicant's purpose and accomplishment of thisinvention to secure an eflicient sweepingaction without regard to themanipulation by the use other than the mere matter of translating thesweeper back and forth on the surface to be swept and to secure suchefiicient sweeping action with a minimum of wear on the carpets or rugsor injury to the nap thereof.

I have illustrated and described my invention inv practical embodimentthereof. I have not attempted to illustrate or describe otheradaptations or modifications thereof as it is believed that thisdisclosure will enable those skilled in the art to embody or adapt myinvention as may be desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a carpet sweeper, the combination with a casing comprising sidemembers and an end member, said side members being disposed on 0ppositesides of said casing, floor wheels disposed on the outer side of the endmember, a brush provided with a pulley cooperatively associated with thefloor wheels, a bracket mounted on the casing end member to depend atthe outer side of the pulley, said bracket being provided with avertical slideway, an end bar disposed on the outer side of saidbracket, a brush journal member mounted on said slideway for verticalmovement, and an elongated horizontally disposed reversely bowed springengaged substantially centrally thereof with said journal member andsecured at its outer ends to said end bar in spaced relation from theopposite sides of saidjournal member, the spring being disposedgenerally horizontally in approximately the horizontal plane of thejournal member, said reversely bowed spring being bowed vertically asubstantial distance from the general horizontal plane of the spring inportions thereof on opposite sides of said journal member and having itsouter ends positively fixedly secured to said end bar against slidingmovement in the general longitudinal direction of the spring, said bowedportions of the spring permitting substantial vertical movement of thejournal member connected to the central portion of th spring withoutsliding movement of the fixed ends of the spring in the generallongitudinal direction of the spring, said connection of the ends of thespring to the end bar being adjacent said side members on the oppositesides of the casing, said spring being of such length that the bowedportions thereof flex throughout the full range of movement ofthejournal member so that the biasing stress of the spring on the brushis approximately constant throughout the range of vertical movement ofthe brush from initial position.

2.'In' a carpet sweepr, the combination with a casing and floor wheels,of a brush provided. with a pulley operatively. associated with saidvfloor wheels, a support member carried bythe casing and disposed'at theouter sid of the pulley, said support member being provided with aslideway, a journal member for saidbrush mounted on said slideway forvertical movement, and anelongated generally horizontally disposedspring con,- s ri s. u s n ia l gene a ly. hereof said brush journalmember, and means on said casin adjacent the opposite sides of thecasing t which the opposite ends of said spring are connected in spacedrelation from the opposite sides of said journal member, said springbeing disposed horizontally in substantially the plane of the journalmember, said means for connecting the ends of the spring to the casingpositively fixedly securing said ends to the casing against slidingmovement thereof relative to the casing in the general longitudinaldirection of the spring, said spring having portions thereof bowedvertically a substantial distance from the general horizontal plane ofthe spring on opposite sides of said journal member, said bowed portionsof the spring facilitating vertical movement of the central portion ofthe spring connected to said journal member without longitudinal slidingmovement of the fixed ends of the spring, said spring of such length andits bowed prrtions being such that the biasing stress thereof isapproximately constant throughout the range of vertical movement of thebrush.

3. In a carpet sweeper, the combination with a casing and floor wheels,of a brush provided with a pulley operatively associated with said floorwheels, a support member carried by the casing and disposed at the outerside of the pulley, said support member being provided with a slideway,a journal member for said brush mounted on said slideway for verticalmovement, an elongated substantially horizontally disposed rod springconnected substantially centrally thereof to said brush journal member,and means on said casing adjacent opposite sides thereof with which theends of said spring are secured in spaced relation from the oppositesides of said journal member, said spring being disposed horizontally insubstantially the plane of the journal member and being provided withcoils between said journal member and the ends of said spring and beingof such length that the biasing stress thereof is approximately constantthroughout the range of vertical movement of the brush, said meanspositively fixedly securing the ends of the spring against slidingmovement thereof relative to the casing in the general longitudinaldirection of the spring, one of said coils being disposed along thespring between the journal member and one of the secured ends of thspring, another of said coils being disposed along the spring betweenthe journal member and the other secured end of the spring, said coilsextending vertically a substantial distance from the general horizontalplane of the spring.

4. In a carpet sweeper, the combination with a casing and floor wheels,of a brush provided with a pulley operatively associated with said floorwheels, a support member mounted on said casing and having a verticalslot providing a slideway, a journal member for said brush mounted onsaid slideway for vertical movement at the outer side of the pulley,said journal member ineluding a U-shaped slide projecting through said Islot, the arms of the U-shaped slid being provided with flangesretainingly engaging the outer side of the support member, an elongatedsubstantially horizontally disposed spring connected substantiallycentrally thereof to said brush journal member, and means on said casingto which the opposite ends of the spring are connected in spacedrelation from the opposite sides of said journal member, said springbeing disposed horizontally in substantially the plane of the journalmember and being provided with portions bowed vertically a substantialdistance from the general horizontal plane of the spring, said bowedportions being disposed on the opposite sides of the journal memberbetween said journal member and the points of connection to said meansat the opposite ends of the spring, said means for connecting the endsof the spring to the casing positively fixedly connecting said ends tothe casing against sliding movement generally longitudinally of thespring, said means connecting the ends of the spring to the casingadjacent the opposite sides thereof, the spring being of such lengththat the biasing stress thereof is approximately constant throughout therange of vertical movement of the brush.

5. In a carpet sweeper, the combination with a casing and floor wheels,of a brush provided with a pulley operatively associated with said floorwheels, a support member carried by the casing and having a verticalslot providing a slideway disposed at the outer side of the pulley, ajournal member for said brush mounted on said slideway for verticalmovement, said journal member including a U-shaped slide projectingthrough said slot, the arms of the U-shaped slide having flangesretainingly engaging the outer side of the support member, said armshaving open ended vertical slots, an elongated substantiallyhorizontally disposed spring having its central portion disposed in saidslots, and means on said casing to which the opposite ends of saidspring are connected, said slide having a web portion intermediate thearms thereof bent over the central portion of the spring for retainingthe sprin in the slots, said connecting means positively fixedlysecuring the opposite ends of the spring to the casing against slidingmovement in the general longitudinal direction of the spring, saidconnecting means connecting the ends of the spring to the casingadjacent the opposite sides thereof, said spring having portions thereofbowed vertically a substantial distance from the general horizontalplane of the spring on opposite sides of said journal member.

FRED W. PULLEN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 433,538 Newlove Aug. 5, 1890 525,721 Ruton Sept. 11, 1894670,513 Johnston Mar. 26, 1901 824,318 Thorp June 26, 1906 2,228,528Miller Jan. 14, 1941 2,239,276 Smith Apr. 22, 1941 2,418,725 Pullen Apr.8, 1947 2,497,885 Heftler Feb. 21, 1950

